Instructions: Complete the following information in order to plan an effective and engaging narrative. Characterization

Instructions: The more clearly you understand the character, the better you will be able to tell the story from his or her point of view. Answer these questions to guide your writing.

Which character have you selected?
What do you know about this character?

Grid to record what you know about the character.
How do you know?
(Use quotes or information from the text) Direct or
Indirect
Physical
Appearance
Age or Other Factual Information

Feelings
Attitude
The protagonist of this story is .

What is your character’s relationship to the protagonist?

Conflict

Instructions: Establishing a clear conflict will help you shape the story. Answer these questions in complete sentences to guide your writing.

What conflict will your selected character face in your narrative?

What type of conflict is this?

What causes the conflict?

Who is involved in the conflict?

How will the character respond to the conflict? Remember, your character’s actions should be believable based on the character portrayed in the book you read. Use the things you observed through characterization to plan your character’s response.

What is the outcome of the character’s response?

Point of View

Instructions: Decide from whose point of view your narrative will be told. Answer these questions in complete sentences.

What point of view will you use?
How will the selected point of view influence what readers know about the action and the other characters in your narrative?

Plot

Instructions: Take time now to plan the course of events in your narrative. The conflict you selected earlier should be the driving force in your story. Answer these questions in complete sentences.

Who is the protagonist of your narrative?

In which stage of the plot can you use foreshadowing or flashback to add interest to your story?

Knowing the conflict your character faces, what will the turning point be for him or her? Begin outlining the plot by starting with the climax. How does he or she get to that point? (That’s the exposition and rising action.) How is he or she changed as a result of the turning point? (That’s the falling action and resolution.)

Outline the plot of your narrative by recording at least three events in all stages except the climax, where you will have just one event. Then plan your character’s response to the events. What will he or she say, think, or do in light of the events you have planned?

Caption of Content
Exposition Rising Action Climax Falling Action Resolution
What happens in this stage of the story?

Character's Response

Exposition

Begin your narrative by writing the exposition here. Your exposition should be at least two paragraphs. Make sure you do the following in this part of the plot:

establish the narrator
introduce the main characters
establish the conflict
set the scene by using at least five descriptive details